If you often wondered about the connection between Gum Springs and United Community Ministries (UCM), here's the story in the words of Sharon Kelso, former UCM Executive Director. There are several current Gum Springs residents who remembers those days and the individuals and organizations mentioned in Ms. Kelso's story. You may not hear or read about the relationship or history between Gum Springs and UCM any other place. It's a hidden and unknown story that has been quietly filed away on paper and out of the minds of others. Thanks to Ms. Kelso for retaining the history writing it for documentation.

UCM’s HISTORY: 1960-2003

By Sharon Kelso (former UCM Executive Director 1984-2003)

I have told this story many times but putting it in writing is an awesome task. The only one to do this before me was Pat Berg, UCM’s visionary and first executive director. By reading Pat’s words, I have a renewed sense of respect and admiration for those who established the organization. Their vision, planning and forward thinking built a foundation that has seen the organization through 33 years of service to the people of this community. There have been four revisions to the by- laws and none of them were very comprehensive, more like tweaking than revision, again verification of the insight of those who established UCM.

A well thought out philosophy shaped the foundation and can best be expressed by the resolution that established UCM in 1969. The Rev. Don Pilkenton, pastor of Mt. Vernon Presbyterian Church and UCM’s first president, stated “that individuals, rather than churches as organizations, were to be encouraged to become members of the UCM, with the objective that those joining would be personally committed to and involved in the work of the organization.” These words were spoken at the final meeting of the Gum Springs Cooperating Ministry that dissolved it as an entity and transferred its assets to the UCM.

In 1960 The Gum Springs Trailer Store was begun in cheap, used trailer that was towed to Gum Springs where it resided on the corner of Sherwood Hall Lane and Fordson Road on the grounds of Bethlehem Baptist Church.​In Pat’s retelling of the UCM story, she shares several comments that demonstrate the philosophy embraced by the new organization. “There was no bridge between those in our affluent circumstances and the poor who are right here but often out of sight. I knew others who felt similarly frustrated by the gulf that existed in this richest of all counties in the United States.”

After receiving generous contributions from Rachel and Stephen Moss and the Rev. Embry Rucker, Pastor of St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, Pat stated, “These contributions could have readily been used to help poor families. But this would have left no lasting mark. Private efforts were fragmentary and uncoordinated. Governmental bureaucracies could not respond quickly to emergency situations. There was no outreach of citizens to identify problems, meet short range emergencies and help guide and goad public agencies in their programs to aid the poor.’’

We need another few words about the Trailer Store and the Gum Springs Cooperating Ministry that operated it to put things in proper perspective. It was an entirely volunteer effort. Churches and individuals collected the clothing primarily aimed at providing warm, clean clothing for the children who attended the Gum Springs Elementary School. With the total support of the principal, Saunders B. Moon, the group charged a nominal fee for all the goods found in the tiny store. It operated every Saturday and often the bookmobile was parked on the grounds. The informal group named themselves the Gum Springs Cooperating Ministry and developed an advisory council to assist it in identifying the needs of the community and oversight for the expenditure of donated funds. Volunteers washed, ironed and mended donations before they were placed in the store. It continued to thrive until the War on Poverty program awarded the community a grant to provide many needed services including repairs to housing and building new homes. The grant required that residents of the benefiting community run the programs. They were known as the Saunders B. Moon Community Action Center later to become the Gum Springs Development Corporation. It remained active in the community until 1991 when financial problems could not be resolved.

And so with the two timely gifts, the advisory council launched UCM. The Trailer Store had done its work of sensitizing many in the area that there was a problem close to home and that they could contribute their time and talents to help out. It was decided that if a group of volunteers wanted to get together for some project UCM would be supportive. If experience later showed a lack of continuing interest, as in the case of the Coffee House, the project would be terminated. If a group wanted to continue a project on its own, for example the Different Drum, the alternative school, they left with best wishes. They were willing to try most anything if there was a demonstrated need and volunteers came forth. These were some of the early activities: emergency service (referrals, home visits, transportation, food, housing and furniture), mental health, youth, education, shops and communications. Cash receipts in 1969 were $7,171.47, mostly through individual contributions. By the following year the income had more than doubled, about half through contributions and the rest from thrift store receipts. The state provided funds for a walk–in counseling service. Pat said, “We did not fool ourselves that UCM’s emergency assistance would raise people from poverty. Rather, timely aid could tide a family over until continuing forms of support was forthcoming, be it public or private. Our aid could help sustain hope, a needed ingredient for people struggling to survive.”

By 1971 UCM had attracted over 700 volunteers. It had established excellent relations with state and local agencies. The Fairfax Country Department of Social Services declared that UCM helped bridge the community through volunteers who gave freely of their time, energy and financial support in an effort to provide a unique and much needed service to the community.

One last reflection of Pat’s will paint an unforgettable picture of the spirit found in the agency. “The early days were hectic but joyful. We were all giddy from the volume and nature of problems coming in the door. About all we had in resources was energy and imagination. An Antioch Collage intern’s evaluation observed, ‘Naturally, the people who work at UCM are crazy as monkeys in a banana warehouse!’” Regular volunteers and one lone staff person (Natalie Berend for whom our loan fund is named) joined Pat in deep concern for those in need with a willingness to give all in seeking solutions. When matters were most grim, humor would sustain them.

When Pat’s health failed, volunteer Eleanor Kennedy was hired as the second executive director. Pat closed her time with UCM by observing that some thought the organization would suffer from her departure. A look at UCM’s subsequent history of growth to its current presence in the area demonstratrates that such concern was (in her words) “ greatly misplaced”. After all, there will always be people in need and those who want to provide help if only shown the way. Through UCM, assistance can be marshaled in a community wide effort. We can thereby be our brother’s keeper.

During Eleanor Kennedy’s ten years with UCM, the agency grew in paraprofessional staff, funding from both United Way and Fairfax County through the Department of Community Action, and grants from foundations. The board expanded the management of UCM to include an assistant director and a coordinator of development and volunteers. Route One Corridor Housing (now New Hope Housing) was established in response to increasing homelessness. Eleanor served as executive director under a separate board of directors. Shelter House was also established in the Bailey’s Crossroads area. The case was being made for the need for shelters for individuals as well as families. Senior and Youth outreach programs were begun as well as the first outreach to immigrants in our area. A few were Hispanic, many were from the Middle East as Persia became Iran, but the majority were from Viet Nam, Cambodia and Korean. The budget grew to $850,000. As an appointed commissioner of the Redevelopment Housing Authority, Eleanor’s expertise and dedication to the need for affordable housing allowed her to fulfill many personal goals that continue to help the low income of Fairfax County.

In 1981, the board began to look at the thrift shop as a revenue-producing opportunity as well as a service. Hours of operation were expanded (from 10:00 –1:00 to 10:00 –5:00) and a third staff person was hired. There was one volunteer sorter/pricer, and a number of community service volunteers hung goods and tried to keep some order on the racks. The manager and two cashiers handled the customers. The store brought in about $60,000 a year and most of it was profit because of the very low overhead (three part time salaries with no benefits, masking tape for price tags, trash bags for items given to American Rescue and its share of the $125.00 a month paid to the county for the building on North Kings Highway). The Aldersgate United Methodist Women began their annual fashion show in an effort to help UCM promote the new image of the store. The board also began to look at its structure and decided to form only two standing committees, fundraising and operations. This was a major step in giving top priority to fundraising efforts. New members with business connections were recruited. A great deal of the board’s time was spent in reporting to the United Way, developing the budget and preparing for the annual site visit of the funding panel. UCM moved from bake sales to special events – an annual gala at Ft. Belvoir with the Hexagoners entertaining and Alexandria Little Theater nights. Grant writing brought in new funds for expanding the senior and youth programs.

In 1983, the county announced that they were selling the building on North Kings Highway and UCM would have to find a new home. This occupied the majority of the Board’s time as well as searching for a new executive director. Eleanor’s health had begun to fail and she wanted to spend time traveling with her husband while it was still possible.

In 1984, UCM moved to the present location on Fordson Road. Sharon Kelso was hired as the third executive director. The new location allowed the thrift store to upgrade its appearance and expand its sales, staff and hours. It was decided to name it The Back Porch. The name was chosen because as the move-in progressed, when no one knew what to do with something, they were told to “put it on the back porch” referring to the loading dock behind the building. It caught on and seemed to fit the store because most donations wind up on the back porch of someone’s home before they come to UCM!

New programs appeared: employment counseling and placement, transitional housing and the Bryant Early Learning Center opened in 1986. For two years UCM operated a clinic for the medically uninsured. It advocated for the opening of shelter for individuals and supported the churches in their effort to shelter them in their parish halls.

The board reorganized into a variety of committees due to the increased number of activities the agency was involved in. Three programs were discontinued – 1.) the medical clinic because the county saw the need and opened the south county affordable health care center, 2.) housing counseling and placement because a new group called South County Housing Coalition was started and seemed the appropriate vehicle for this work (now known as Community and Housing Services) and 3.) Senior Outreach because the county had revved up its services and outreach to the elderly. Later, the Youth Outreach program was also dropped because of funding and staffing issues and the Recreation Department’s increase in programs. New ventures saw the relocation of The Back Porch to the shopping center and increased expectations of it as a revenue-producing activity, three transitional housing programs because the county needed a community-based partner to get the grants, and ACTS –Adult Computer Training School. A state grant allowed the employment program to move to a separate location just in time for Welfare Reform. The BEL Center continues to expand through grants to renovate space at the Bryant School.

All these decisions were based on the beginning premises of UCM. Meet the identified needs of the community, do it as long as there is need and a willingness to support the activity and do not duplicate what is available elsewhere. There is much that is left to be done by following this original philosophy and the strong foundation our first board established, UCM will continue to be there for the community. There are many new programs at UCM - youth is back, and Healthy Families is here, employment now concentrates on training, Project Resilient continues in the wake of more terrorist threats and our role as advocates becomes increasingly more important.

Planning during those early years was definitely on the fly and totally reactive. When the board reorganized in 1985, the first formal planning committee was established. Prior to this our evaluations of the agency were conducted at the annual board retreat. Staff presented their programs, accomplishments and requests and the board acted upon those as appropriate. This was possible because, at that time, the majority of our board members were also volunteers within the programs. They knew them on a personal basis and from experience. The United Way at that time also made stringent requirements upon boards to make formal presentations to their panel concerning programs, results, needs and tie them directly to the budget. It was a lot of work and took up a great deal of each committee’s time responding to the multitude of information requested in this annual document. When United Way became a donor choice operation, these reporting requirements were dropped. This left the board members with fewer direct responsibilities. Eventually the board returned to a two-committee structure with many sub-committees to handle the various areas of responsibility. Accreditation drove many of the sub-committee tasks.

As a result of these emphasis and structural changes and the growth of the staff, the relationships between staff and board changed. Staff serving as liaisons to the various committees and sub-committees still had a strong knowledge of the board. Those who did not would not have much knowledge at all unless they worked with a board member who also volunteered. With the recruitment of more business-oriented board members, the instances of them being operational volunteers were significantly reduced. Board members are also more dependent on systems within the agency for their information and less likely to know who is staff and what they do.

We are a staff of professionals and our budget is $3.9 million and growing. There are still about 700 volunteers. We made a conscious decision to go from a neighborhood, helping agency to a professional social services agency. This is best exemplified by our accreditation with the Council on Accreditation for Children and Family Services. We are one of only 20 agencies in the state of Virginia with these credentials. That was a major step. It puts us several steps ahead of our sister agencies and it places UCM once more in a position of leadership. It is the community’s assurance that UCM is not only a great resource but is also an excellent investment. It is interesting to note that COA is adjusting their standards to be more accessible to agencies like UCM as well as those that provide therapeutic and clinical services exclusively.

We face some of the most difficult times in recent history. But you can see that none of this is new to UCM. The spirit of creativity and willingness is alive and well. Humor keeps us going no matter how tough the problems we face and the community supports us more than ever before. Our relationship with state and local government is excellent and our reputation for service continues to excel. If we remember those who came before us, and hold to their principles, we will be there for those to come. Experts in the field predict that those agencies that remain flexible, responsive and act quickly can survive these challenging times and become stronger for the experience.

Prepared by Sharon Kelso and presented at the 2003 UCM Board of Directors’ Annual Retreat on February 22, 2003